St. Francis Fountain

C also got a float: stout and soy vanilla ice cream.

The nice folks over at Vegansaurus seriously hooked us up this week. C and I had a friend from many years ago swing into the city for a brief respite from the busy and heat in NYC. Usually, we take people to Chay-ya, which we find to be reliably tasty, conveniently located, and relatively affordable. After reading Vegansaurus's review of St. Francis Fountain, which is less than a mile from the places we tend to frequent in the Mission, we were tempted to either try that or see if the rumors are true that Weird Fish is once again offering vegan fish and chips. In the name of trying something brand new, and with deference to the vegan sages at vegansaurus, we opted this time for the former.

My Devil's Burger, with side salad.

This cute little classic-diner style restaurant offers all the expected American classics alongside an impressive array of vegan offerings. We got there just before 1 o'clock on a sunny, Wednesday afternoon, and the place was bustling. After putting our name and party number on the unassuming clipboard hanging from a string on the door, we waited about 20 minutes before we were led to a comfortable booth. I suppose all three of us were lacking in imagination because we all got the same irresistible menu item: the Devil's Burger. This is a large bun piled with thinly-sliced and perfectly-seasoned seitan. C and I both added vegan jack cheese to ours (because, you know, while we're being fatties and everything), and our friend Devon got regular jack cheese and avocado.  I was agonizing over how much I would hate myself later if I got the fries I wanted to order as my side when Devon kindly offered to order them himself (with the understanding that I would liberally help myself after eating the green salad that I ended up ordering). They were really good. C got veggie chili as his side, but he didn't say much about it.

Finally, I should add that our server was fantastic. She was prompt, funny, and adorable. Major win. If you live in the SF area, or go there ever, and you eat, please clear your schedule enough to accommodate the wait, skip Herbivore, and hit St. Francis. Also, if you are vegan (or a sympathizer) and enjoy snark, and you don't already read Vegansaurus, you might want to get on that. Or prepare to suffer an identity crisis.

Please note, in this final picture, how happy Devon looks. Maybe this is because A) He's naturally happy, B) C has just told him some hilarious little anecdote, or C) he's in an awesome diner surrounded by delicious seitan sandwiches. Also, note how his plate is maneuvered into just the right position for A) taking this picture, and more importantly B) stealing his fries.